The Lone Dragon
by AdmiralWhiteFang
Summary: Natsu is a foreign transfer student living in Japan. New school. New people. It was supposed to be the start of a new life. Instead, he was exiled by his peers, thrown around like trash, turned into a plaything and, most importantly, misunderstood. Having made peace with it, he coped with the new life. But he couldn't keep his dark past behind him for long. Not after he met…...her.
1. Chapter 1

_Chapter 1: I never wanted to, I was Forced to_

* * *

**"Others may have their clocks continue to tick, mine also does but never it moves pass the number twelve." - Idris Archive**

* * *

_Tap_

_Tap_

_Tap_

_Tap Tap Tap_

Natsu tapped on his desk with an ever ferocious intensity.

The class was still there, listening intently to the teacher. He, on the other hand, was not.

_Ding Dong Ding Ding…..Dong Dong Ding Ding….._

_Oh great that stupid chime the school has._

Natsu looked up from his desk and finally noticed that the class was over. Actually he hadn't even realized that class was going on in the first place. Most probably because it was English.

And he was from the United States.

The red haired class president shouted out. "Kiritsu!" The class stood up. Natsu reluctantly stood up as well.

"Rei." _Bow_.

The Sensei bowed back at them, her smile filling everyone in the classroom with joy. Almost everyone. "Have a nice lunch!" she said.

Of course she said this in Japanese. Why wouldn't she? They were in Japan after all.

Natsu sighed. _What was the point_, he thought. _Lunchtime was a waste. Food wasn't that important._

But Natsu's stomach said otherwise. It growled loud enough to be heard from all the way across the room. He rubbed his forehead. _Why did he have to have such a large appetite? What was it that made him consume so much food everyday._ But as the classroom slowly became busy with chatter and students filing out to either buy lunch or hangout with their friends in other classes, it was immediately quenched when four students entered the room. Their mere presence in the room gave everyone a reason to become hushed. Natsu internally sighed. It was most _definitely_ that time of day.

"Pink Hair! How are yo!" A large arm came around Natsu's neck and squeezed him, nearly making him lose his breath. "I can't wait for that. Beautiful food you have for lunch!"

This guy. Natsu hated him so much. He couldn't even speak English properly. _Why did he have to come and pick only on him? There were so many people in this school and the one person these guys had to take lunch from, was him._ Natsu glanced at the head looming into his eyesight. Two-tones of hair could be seen, one white and one black, but he couldn't see his face.

His lackeys behind him snickered. "Why are you playing with him, Totomaru?" One of them asked in Japanese. "Let's just take his lunch and leave. I'm getting hungry."

"Wait a moment." Totomaru replied back. "I want to have my fun."

They were having this conversation in Japanese for only one reason. Natsu didn't know Japanese. Or so they thought he didn't. To begin with, his mother wasn't even Japanese! She had forced the language down his throat ever since he was born. Even in the states, Natsu had managed to fluently read and write Japanese from the age of eight. At the time, he had thought it was useless. When was he going to use Japanese in a country where no one spoke Japanese? But it had paid off in the end. Funny how life turned itself around.

"Where the food?" Totomaru asked. _Stupid grammar._

Suddenly, he was furious. Not because Totomaru was picking on him for his language barrier, but because they wanted his food. The food that his mother had made for him. The food she made everyday was taken by these fools. Every day for the past two months.

Every. Single. Bloody. Day.

He clenched his fingers and didn't respond. He went hungry every day so those mongrels could eat. _Why? WHY? What was the point? Was his promise worth it? Was it worth to see his mom think he had eaten his lunch? Was it-_

His face connected with the desk as Totomaru grabbed the back of his neck and slammed him into the wood. Pain erupted on his nose as it briefly bent before Natsu realized what was happening and shifted his head to the right. His cheekbone took the brunt of the damage and within milliseconds his entire cheek was on the desk. He couldn't breath. Totomaru's fingers had somehow managed to curl around his trachea and was cutting off the oxygen supply.

"Answered too late, dearie." The whole gang laughed as they began to rummage through his backpack bringing out the four-tiered boxed lunch that he always brought with him.

"Does your mommy know that you give us your lunch?" Totomaru's face came into view. His mouth was pouted in a baby-like face. Although, with his black face tattoos, it made him look ridiculous. "Does she cook for us so that you do not get boo boo?"

_Have to get hurt_, Natsu automatically corrected the grammar in his brain. _Do not have to get hurt._

But Natsu said nothing. Mainly because he was struggling for air.

"Aww the poor guy can't even talk. Dog got your tongue, little Natsu? Here. Let me help."

Totomaru let go of his neck, bringing a surge of fresh air back into his lungs. He coughed and reeled, trying to recover from the blow. By the time he was normal, the gang was gone. The contents of his bag were strewn across the floor and all Natsu could do was stare at it. Anger that had previously boiled inside him, simmered down to an appropriate level and he brought himself up into an upright position. He could feel everyone's eyes on him.

Slowly, he picked up his things and he, slowly, left the hushed classroom. As he walked down the hallway, he felt nearly everyone's eyes on him, something that was not unfamiliar to him. He was, after all, a guy with pink hair. But you'd think that the staring contests would slowly cease once you'd attended the school for a couple of months. It may have been wishful thinking on his part. Plus his attitude and body language didn't particularly attract many people. His shirt's first two buttons were open and his hands were in his pockets with the thumb pointing out and his head was slightly down but his round eyes looked straight forward. His smile was non-existent, transfixed with a permanent scowl.

Natsu looked at himself in the mirror. Somehow he had managed to find the bathroom and as he looked, he saw the red mark of Totomaru's finger that had managed to press into his windpipe. There would most definitely be a bruise. He'd need to cover it up before he got home. At least they didn't hurt him too much today. Still, being a lapdog for food wasn't bad. At least they weren't in his class for the year. Even if they were, their days of bullying would have been completely over. The class president would have whipped them out of the school if she had her way. What was her name again? It started with an E or something. Her last name was Scarlet, he knew that much. She even had two of her assistants with her at all times. One of them was a guy with spiky black-colored hair and dark blue eyes. Just looking at him for a time had made Natsu's skin crawl. Not with fear but more of a weird "punch him in the face" crawl.

The bell rang and Natsu pulled himself together. He had to reach class before the teacher arrived and he couldn't disappoint this teacher. This one… he actually liked.

Mainly because the Sensei was a midget.

* * *

**X**

* * *

The rest of the day had been a drag. Natsu groaned. He had carried himself away from the school at about the pace of a snail, tired from his ventures with the study session. After-school classes were always full of noisy kids and yelling teachers. This was completely different from the silent 'American' programs he was used to. He sighed. In any case, it was almost sunset and he was back at home. He opened the door and the smell of delicious food bombardarded his sinuses in waves and activated his brain. Suddenly, he was no longer fatigued. Just the smell of the food he loved and adored made him wide awake.

"Welcome home, sweetheart!"

His mother pounced and gave Natsu a big hug. Her luscious golden hair ran down his hands as he returned her hug. She was short. Very short. More than once, her height and physical features would characterize her as a third or fourth grader. Only her eyes betrayed the image. She looked at him with those big olive green eyes. The eyes that showed her intelligence and kindness.

"Hello." She said as she smiled at him.

Natsu grinned back. "Hello."

"How was your day?"

Natsu's mind flashed back to lunchtime for a brief second. He froze before managing to give his mother a big smile.

"It was good."

His mother narrowed her eyes and let go, taking a few steps back to observe him before finally saying, "That's what you say everyday!" She seemed genuinely sad for a moment before she returned to her regular cheerful look.

"I want to know more about school in Japan!" To emphasize her point, she pirouetted on the spot with her hands in the air. Like a flower ballerina. "I've never gone to school here! I, Mavis Vermillion, want to know _all_ the different experiences you're getting! Isn't it fun!"

She calmed down before saying, "But it's alright. I'm sure you're having lots of new friends here. A fresh new start!"

Natsu gulped. "Yes. A fresh new start. Just like you wanted."

Mavis beamed. "Okay! Time to eat! It's almost 6 and I'm hungry!"

Natsu smiled. His mother always made him food when he got back from school. She knew he felt hungry every time he stepped back into the house. That was how his mother always was. Always the cheerful one. Always a step ahead. It was what he loved about her. His mother was the most amazing human in existence. He would never do anything to make her sad again. Not like last time. Never like the last time.

Mavis was already in the kitchen, humming a song to herself. 'Glitter and Gold' he thought it was. It was her favorite song.

He clenched his fist. He would never let it be like last time. He never wanted to be that person again. The pain he had seen on her face when she realized the true horror of what her son had become. And he never wanted her to look at him like that ever again. The way she had looked at him.

_A Monster._


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2: Down Upon Myself_

* * *

"_**Life is a cycle that needs to be completed. In order to achieve the happy and simpler life, one must endure the meaning of pain to be grateful of it... or one must simply be in a state of ignorance to not only others but also to themselves." - Idris Archive**_

* * *

Dinner was swift. Natsu had enjoyed every bit of it. His mother also stuffed him to the point where he couldn't breathe anymore. But he still smiled the entire time. It was, after all, supposed to be the best part of his day. A little cliche to be saying something like that but it was true. He loved food. There was no question about. Especially since…No. He shook his head. He had to endure. He had to. It was the only way. Was it?

As he began to change his clothes, he caught his reflection in the mirror. With the shirt off, he saw the mark Totomaru had left on his neck. There wouldn't be any permanent damage but it was still noticeable. He was thankful that his mother hadn't seen it. He'd managed to cover it up, by buttoning up his shirt, before returning home. Thank god his mother was short, otherwise, she would have noticed it. Still, the mark would take a few days to wear off. But covering it with the shirt would start to become uncomfortable, especially with his broad shoulders. Natsu always wore long sleeves to cover his toned arm muscles. He was ashamed of them, so to speak. It reminded him of his past life; something he wanted to forget.

An idea came to his mind as he remembered something. A piece of clothing he had brought from America. It would useful right about now. Especially since he didn't want anyone to see the bruise. One or two days didn't matter. He could wear it to school for a few days and then leave it at home after that.

He walked over to his suitcase and unzipped it. The contents of the bag were all in neat orderly piles. He rummaged carefully through the pile until he found what he was looking for. Something his grandfather had given it to him.

A scarf. It was a white scarf with straight black checkered lines that gave a sort of reptilian vibe to it. When he was little, it had reminded him of dragon scales. Natsu still remembered the old man telling him that it was a special scarf. The kid at the time believed this to be true. Now it was just a painful reminder of what he had done. He had used that 'special' feeling to do some horrible things. A remembrance of his past life.

Why was he planning on wearing this again? Oh right the bruise. He unbuttoned the top of the shirt and wrapped the scarf around his neck. It felt surprisingly comfortable. He had worn it in all weather back in the States. It had been like a piece of his body back then but now…

But he'll wear it. To cover it up. To make sure his mother didn't find it. Just for a few days. He'll wear it only for a few days. A few days until the bruise disappeared. After that, it was going back in the suitcase. He would never wear it ever again. He closed his eyes. Never again.

"Natsu! Are you going to take a bath tonight or in the morning?!" his mother called. She was probably going to take one right now. It was her way of asking if it was alright for her to go instead. Unusual for many people but she already _was_ an unusual person.

But he should probably do it the morning. It was already late and he didn't want to lose any sleep. Mainly because he always got cranky if he didn't get enough sleep.

"In the morning!" he replied.

Yes. He'll take care of it in the morning.

* * *

**X**

* * *

_I look like an idiot!_

Walking to school was one thing. Walking to school in a jacket was even more stupid. Especially since on this particular day, it was warm. The sun was out, the clouds had suddenly decided to take a vacation and everyone in school was wearing their school uniforms without their normal jackets to compensate. Natsu, on the other hand, had worn his jacket over his uniform and now it was slowly turning him into Natsu gyros. Gyros. Mhmm those were the best. The taste and aroma of cooked tender chicken as well the crispy crunchy outside-

Natsu slapped himself multiple times to come back to life, stinging his cheek a little. _Focus!_ Blood rushed to his face and he started to feel even more hot. _Arrrrgggh! _People around him looked at him weirdly and were giving him a wide berth as they trudged on past to their classrooms.

Natsu hadn't worn a jacket since he started school and he hadn't even planned on continuing it. Well not until this morning, that is. Natsu had forgone the idea of wearing his scarf and decided to go with the his own jacket instead. Normally this would not have been a problem in the US. However, this was a Japanese High School. And Japanese High schools were always old-fashioned, trying to look prim and proper as well as blend in with the crowd. So he was the only one in the school, walking down the hallway in a jacket while everyone else was in their normal whites school shirts and uniform pants. And he looked out of place.

A lot.

But he had brought his scarf with him. He had unwillingly stuffed it in his bag last minute and ran out the door. Something told him he would need it. He didn't know why. He only knew that he should follow his instincts.

Wait how had he gotten to school so quickly? For that matter, he didn't even remember entering the school. _Wait What?_

He opened the sliding door to his classroom and stepped in. Immediately, he felt someone's eyes turn onto him. He was right. Three individuals were staring at him but not out of curiosity. No, these eyes were ones of people wanting answers. And it was none other than the class president and her two colleagues themselves. He knew there was something they wanted to tell him but he simply ignored it. He continued to walk to his seat before the boy with dark hair called him.

"Natsu-san."

He sighed. He knew how this would play out. First, he would be accused of something. Second, he would be punished for it. That was how it typically turned out. That was how _he _had done it too. "Yes?" he answered back, looking in their direction.

"Come here. We want to talk with you."

Natsu continued to walk to his desk. He wanted to put his bag down before he went to meet them.

"Natsu!"

_Give me a second!, _he thought. He reached his desk, dropped his bag in practiced fluidity, and walked right back to the front.

"Whats up?"

The two boys looked at him in shock. The girl, however, was unfazed. Her sharp eyes burrowed into Natsu. Actually only left eye since her right eye was covered by her scarlet hair. It was still pretty terrifying.

"Natsu-san." She started to say. "There is a uwasa going around the gakkō that you have been… 'hanging out' with one of the Element Four."

_Rumor. School._

Natsu raised an eyebrow. It was unusual for the class president to use the term 'hanging out'. It was more of an American slang than that of Japan. No wonder she was the class president. She could speak English proficiently and had picked up on the language pretty quickly. Except for the accent which threw him completely off sometimes. Come to think of it, he had used the words "hang out" the first week he had arrived in Japan. But at that time, they had looked at him like he was an alien which, to be fair, he was.

"I wouldn't exactly use 'hanging out' to be the proper term." Natsu made 'air quotes' to exaggerate his point. "But we… we have come to an… arrangement… of sorts."

The guy who had called him over, the one with jet-black hair, coughed. Gray, his name was. "Arrangement?" He sounded angry. Then he switched to Japanese. "You call that an arrangement!"

Natsu looked over at him like he didn't understand, even though he knew perfectly what Gray was uttering. "What are you talking about?"

"He is asking." The other guy interjected, giving Gray a stern stare. "What is your arrangement?"

This guy's name was Loki Ōtsuki. He was popular with all the girls. Seriously. They all swooned at him whenever he passed by and it always gave Natsu a headache.

"The arrangement… is to keep your nose out of people's business."

"Natsu, why are you so arrogant?" Loki asked calmly. "We are just try to-"

"Trying to what? Trying to put me in league with Phantom Lord, the supposed gang of this school?"

"We didn't say that." Gray said. "We would never say that."

"And you didn't have to." Natsu gave them a confused angry look. "Why do you even care? You are the elite of this school. You stand above us peasants, remember?!

"And don't worry about it." He continued, smirkingly. "It won't ruin your reputation around here." And with that, he twirled around and walked away. He didn't have to tell them anything. They weren't his friends. Nobody was. Why should he care what they think? They thought they knew what was going on. From the way they were talking to him, it was clear they thought he was in league with the Element Four. Ha. What did they know? They should keep to themsel-

A hand spun him around and grabbed him by the collar. Natsu's assailant pulled him close enough to smell the perfume on her. Erza Scarlet, class president of the class of 2A, looked at him in the eye. Her iron grip kept him in his place as he struggled to break free. He tried harder but she was too strong. He finally gave up and looked at her. Her bangs had parted away and he could see both her eyes clearly. Only her left eye looked at him in anger.

_Oh. _

Her right eye… was that of glass.

And suddenly he was afraid.

"You think we care about reputation? We d0. But we care about how the students behave as well. So listen closely Natsu. If I see anything wrong, if you do anything to hurt anyone, I will make sure you are expelled from Fiore High. But before that happens, I will break every bone in your body until there is nothing left to keep you standing. Do. You. Understand. Me."

Natsu gulped and nodded rapidly. The whole room had gone quiet. Everyone was staring at her and Natsu. Gray and Loki stood behind her, a few feet away, terrified out of their wits to even interject. They seemed to know better than to interfere. She pulled him closer, bringing her mouth right next to his ear, and whispered, "You understood everything I said."

Natsu froze. He hadn't realized it but everything Erza had said just now had been in her native language. In terror, he had completely forgotten he wasn't supposed to know Japanese. And the way she had said it, she was sure of herself. It wasn't a question. It was a statement. She pulled herself, let go of him, and gave him a small sweet smile. Natsu could tell that it was genuine.

"Don't cause any trouble." she said in English. And with that, she turned and walked back to the front of the classroom where her seat was, her scarlet red hair waving in the sunlight. It reminded him of burning fire. She moved past the two boys and Gray followed her. Loki looked like he wanted to say something apologetic to Natsu but then decided against it and followed Gray.

Natsu flopped down into his seat. _Who was this girl? _She was unlike any girl he had ever encountered. Her aura of superiority overshadowed what lay beneath. She cared. That was what he could see. She cared about what would happen to the class. How had he not noticed her behaviour before? He was generally good at this kind of stuff. _She, _apparently, was better. Erza had known he knew Japanese even without him showing that he knew. He had done everything in his power to keep it that way. _But would she tell anyone? _

Natsu heard Erza's friend whisper to her. "Did you have to scare him like that? He doesn't even know Japanese."

Erza smiled. She whispered something back, too low for Natsu to hear, then turned to him and shouted. "Take off your jacket."

Natsu looked bewildered. "What! I'm not taking off my-" He stopped talking. _Oh right._

"It is against school regulations to wear your jacket over the school uniform." She said.

_Yikes. _He had completely forgotten. No wonder he had thought to bring his scarf. A subconscious memory must have reminded him that jackets weren't allowed. It was a stupid rule but a rule nonetheless.

He sighed. "Sure. No problem."

No. He couldn't dwell on that right now. He could confront her during break or something. School was about to start and he - hang on. When did he care about school? His mother's face flashed before his eyes, her big smile beaming at him. He sighed. Right. Thats why.

The school bell rang. Natsu quickly took out his scarf from the bag, and switched the two pieces of clothing. Now he looked less ridiculous. Just Maybe.

"Kiritsu!"

"Rei!"

His Homeroom sensei looked around the classroom, eyeing each individual with his sharp eyes. This was his way of doing roll call. He had every student's name, face, and number imprinted in his memory. But that wasn't the most fascinating thing about him. It was the physical features that made him stand out. He was a large, muscular man with tan colored skin. His height caused him to tower over many of the students and colleagues. His white hair was styled upwards in long, wavy spikes to the modern fashion of Japan. He also had a stitched scar running down its right side, crossing his right eye. It made him look older and more fierce but in reality he was a real softie, always caring about the students and making threats to tell their parents for not doing their homework. He was a pure joy to the class.

"All right class we have a new foreign exchange student coming in." He said, finally. His deep voice echoed in the classroom and the entire class perked up in curiosity. "Uhhh…"

Sensei Elfman looked over at Natsu and tried translating into English. "Student. New. Class. Kaigai. I mean Foreign." He said, pointing to him and then waving his arms around to the class. Natsu internally facepalmed. He really was a big softie. And quite possibly a little dumb.

No. It was simply the language barrier. Natsu sometimes wondered what would have happened if he hadn't pretended to not understand. Would it have made things different? Would his life have been easier?

Natsu noticed some of his classmates glance in his direction with worried looks. He dismissed them with an eye roll. He nodded to the teacher and the Sensei gave a sigh of relief. "Good." He looked to the closed door and switched to Japanese. "You can come in now."

The sliding door opened and in came…. no one. No one stepped through. Natsu was on the right side side of the class next to the wall dividing them from the hallway. There, he couldn't see who was on the other side of the door. All he could see were their hands. Their hands. Soft and delicate. Who was this person?

"Well come on," he heard Erza say from her seat. "Don't be shy."

The exchange student slowly took a step one after the other, entering the classroom in an almost robotic way. It was only after he heard everyone take a sharp breath in was when he realized that… well… he wasn't the only one holding his breath. Her radiant golden hair fell over as she bowed to the class in the traditional Japanese way of meeting someone for the first time. Her left hand rose up and pulled back her hair, tucking it behind her ear. Her chocolate brown eyes looked over at the class and she took a deep breath in. And when she spoke… something changed inside Natsu. Something he had never felt before in his life. Something that made his heart skip a beat. Something that he didn't understand it. And yet it felt…

_It felt familiar._

"Konnichiwa. Watashi no namae wa Lucy desu. Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu."

_Hello. My name is Lucy. It's a pleasure to meet you._

* * *

**So a bit to say before I leave...**

**I honestly did not expect the reception that I received for the first chapter. I thought it was a terrible story that I created. I wanted to help my friend. But after some time, I realized. I wasn't doing this just for someone. I was doing this All the people who may felt the same. Alone. Misjudged. Misguided. **

**Bullied.**

**This story...was inspired by the man who made those quotes at the beginning of the chapter. The Idris Archive. He has also been helping me with the titles and editing as well. That's all I want to say for now.**


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3: As Always The Last of the Pack….. Am I?_

"_**Never really had a strong bonds with those that were close to me, eventually they leave and have a happy life. But I remain stuck in this position while I endlessly trapped. I would wither down till there is nothing left. **_

_**No Time.**_

_**No Space. **_

_**Just me." - Idris Archive (Tweaked by WhiteFang a tiny bit)**_

* * *

"Would anyone like to be her buddy to help get her accommodated into the school?"

Almost everyone's hands went up. All except three. Erza. Gray. And Natsu.

Lucy gave a small nervous laugh while Sensei Strauss looked around the classroom, confounded by the response. Natsu remembered when he had came into the class for the first time and been asked by someone for a buddy. No one had raised their hand. Now 95% of the class wanted to be the new girl's buddy.

To be honest, it wasn't surprising. People always want to be with the pretty or the handsome always want to be with the ones they are familiar with….not that anyone can argue with that kind of logic.

But he noticed something. Something that he couldn't understand. That feeling in his chest. His heart wasn't racing so to speak. It was…. beating harder. Like a bass drum beating slowly and rhythmically. For a second Natsu thought it would burst out of his chest. _Why? What was it that was making his body react like this? _And then he saw it. Those two people the room looking at him. It was slight but it was there. The first was Lucy. She kept glancing at him with a strange look on her face that lasted for only a fraction of a second before returning to normal.

And the second person was Erza. She had her head slightly tilted in his direction, just enough to see Natsu out of the corner of her eye and just enough for Natsu to see her give him a smile which told him that she had something up her sleeve. _But what was it? Think. What was going on earlier? She hates me for being who I am. She wanted me to get my act straight. Her smirking at this particular moment when everyone is deciding who is going to be the new transfer student's budd-_

Natsu froze. His eyes went wide as he realized what she was going to do.

_Oh no._

"How about Natsu."

The whole class fell silent. For a moment, no one spoke. Lucy looked around in confusion as everyone went from looking at the class president to Natsu. Many looked at her in disbelief.

_Of all people, why me?_

"Erza, are you nuts?" someone asked. Natsu almost did a double take. Many students gasped. A few students gave the person a stern glare. No one spoke to Erza like that. No one had the guts to anyway. Even though she was a high schooler, Erza had always been feared by her peers. Natsu had never known why.

_Until today._

But Erza didn't even take offense at the outburst.

"Allow me to explain," she said, getting up from her chair and taking a stand in front of the class. "Lucy is from America."

The class was silent. Natsu perked up. _What? _Natsu looked at the girl. Not a glance over this time but actually _looked _at her. She was Asian alright, her facial features gave her the same almond eyes that many Asians were plastered with due to their global position on Earth. Regarding the hair, it seemed natural. It wasn't withered But there wasn't even a hint of her being American. _Nani?_

Erza switched to English and looked at the new girl. "Lucy, why don't you tell the class what country you're from?"

"Um." Lucy started. For a second, she looked surprised. Then said, "I'm from the United States."

Her accent. It was her accent. Full and utter English from the California State. Most likely from the Bay Area but he couldn't be sure until he talked to her. Maybe.

"See." Erza said. "Problem solved. Natsu will be her welcome buddy."

Gray spoke up. "Erza wait. Don't you think we should ask Natsu first?"

Erza's eyes flashed at him in anger, but Gray didn't avert his eyes. There was a silent staring contest between the two of them for a few seconds before Gray's logic hit her. She smiled. "Alright then. Natsu!"

_Act natural! _"Yes?"

She switched to English. "Would you like to be the buddy for the new transfer student?"

For a second, Natsu's heart raced. _Interesting, _he thought. _Wait what do you mean by interesting? There was nothing interesting about this. _But his mouth betrayed him.

"Sure," Natsu said. "Why not?"

Erza's smile grew even wider to point where Natsu started to curse his mouth. _Oh great._ "Then it's settled! Lucy, you can go sit in the empty seat next to him."

The Sensei Strauss opened his mouth and then closed it. Then opened it again and said, "Yes. Erza makes a good argument. It has been decided. But before I do, I have one question. Lucy, do you know how to read and write Japanese."

Lucy nodded. "Yes. My mother is Japanese so she taught me how to speak it," she replied back in fluent Japanese. Natsu looked to his left. He'd completely forgotten that no one sat next to him. It had become natural to look at the empty seat over the last few months. Now it would be occupied. That would take some time to get used to.

_I hate my life._

Lucy walked over and sat in the empty seat. She nervously smiled at him and said, "Hello."

He looked over at her. "Hey." he said in the most boring of tones and looked back at the teacher. Lucy was a little shocked at the response but didn't seem to pursue. He hadn't meant to respond in that way. It had come out naturally. Natsu could feel death stares being given to him before they eventually looked back in front. _Good job, man. _

"Ok." The Sensei started, bringing the entire classes attention back to the front. "Now that _that _has been settled. Let me take roll and we will continue this blah blah blahdy blah blah-"

Natsu's brain tuned out from the classroom. His head was already on the desk and about to fall asleep. It was normal for him to do that in the beginning. Once roll call was finished, there would be a 20 minute period of silent reading/studying session. During the 'reading/studying' session, he would normally doze off. It was his way of a power nap. The only difference was that it was in the morning rather than the afternoon. Today was no different. Well... almost. He could feel someone's eyes on him. Again. And he had a pretty good guess of who it was.

But he didn't acknowledge the stare. A few of the classroom girls crowded around the new girl. He could tell by the squeals they gave. They asked her questions about herself and she replied to them in fluent Japanese. Apparently her full name was Lucy Ashley but everyone couldn't pronounce it right. They kept saying Ashurī. Natsu wanted to correct them but he knew they wouldn't listen. He wanted to tell them that Ashurī was a modern-Hebrew script used by Israel in writing the Torah or better known as the Law of God revealed to Moses.

_Oh great. More useless facts that I don't need to remember right now._

But in all sincerity, Ashley wasn't a last name. Sure some people used first names as a last name but they were Christian. Like a boy he knew in the US whose name was Alan Paul. Who was also Indian. The world was a weird place.

But to go back on track, Lucy was either Christian who had inherited her family's last name or….. No she was probably Christian. That would definitely explain her last name.

_Of course, that wasn't true. It was probably the first theory. Maybe it was-_

With his mind wandering, he dozed off to the sound of his own thoughts.

* * *

**X**

* * *

Natsu woke up to the school bell chime, signaling the end of their morning study session. Lucy was currently talking to one of the classmates who had come over to greet her. The others seemed to have rushed back to their seats. Natsu was upright in a flash which caused both girls to jump.

"Are you ok?" Lucy asked. The girl next to her shivered. She was small, around four foot three, her hair was long enough to touch her shoulders and she wore an orange headband to keep most of it in place. She opened her mouth to speak but didn't say anything and, instead, lightly touched Lucy's hand.

"What?" Lucy asked.

The girl shook her head. Natsu could hear the classroom being its loud and usual self. There wasn't a day that went by without it being simply crazy. Rather than study, it was mostly chit chattering and tennis balls flying across the room. Mainly because there wasn't any teacher in the room. A normal school day at Fiore High.

"Are you ok?" Lucy asked again.

"I'm fine." _Japanese. Shoot. She had said it in Japanese. _ "Thank you." He said, rubbing his eyes. Then he quickly changed the subject. "I see you've met Saionji-san."

Lucy looked confused. Natsu had responded to her in English. She glanced at Saionji-san and responded back in kind. "Yes Levy- I mean, Saionji-san is very nice. We both started a conversation and-." Her eyes went wide with shock as she realized what he had said. "You're American?"

"If you're asking whether I'm from the States then yes. I am."

"Woah." She had a dreamy look on her face which made Natsu wonder what she was thinking. "I thought you were a random white dude with pink hair who had lived in Japan his entire life."

Natsu stuttered. _What the heck? Judgy much? _But the whole school had looked at Natsu like he was a problematic child so it wasn't that surprising. Except for a few of the teachers.

And Lucy looked at him like she wasn't joking.

_Retort! I need a retort!_

Natsu struggled to say something. "Well I….. thought you were….. a random Japanese gi-gal who had lived in…..uhhh…..Japan their whole life."

_Smooth._

"I _am _a random Japanese girl."

_God. Bloody. Damnit! What was with the girls today? _

Lucy looked like her face was about to burst. The corners of her mouth were twitching as if they were trying to hold back something. As if they were…..

_Trying to hold back a laugh._

His eyebrows scrunched together and he stared at the new girl. "Seriously."

She burst out laughing. The class looked at her. Levy was a little uncomfortable, fidgeting as she didn't completely understand what had happened. But Natsu's heart did a little skit-beat-tap dance. His stomach churned in a feeling to what many people liked to call: butterflies. And he couldn't even show it. All he could do was put his hand on his face and hide the embarrassment.

Levy asked, "Lucy? Naniga atta?"

_Lucy? What happened?_

Lucy looked at Saionji-san with a smile on her face. "Nothing. Just making a joke. It's nothing to worry about."

Natsu rested his head on his arms and looked the other way, facing towards the wall. She was being friendly. But…..he wasn't in the mood. Not after what he had heard from Erza. What was happening?! Nobody paid attention to the three in the back. Atleast, that was what he was supposed to think. But he knew. A head turn there, a twitch of the eye here, the occasional shoulder movement; they all pointed to him. And all he could think to himself was-

_When would the nightmare end?_


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4: Sweet Lullaby _

"_**No longer am I the flag bearer nor the scout who rushes forward. I am simply the cannon fodder guided to the slaughter." - Idris Archive**_

* * *

The annoying school bell chimed as usual, signaling the end of the class. Everyone got up. Everyone took a bow. Everyone started chattering again. Why shouldn't they? It was lunchtime now.

Lunch. Always lunch. The same old same ol-

"Aren't you gonna eat your lunch?"

"Huh?" Natsu looked over at the girl sitting next to him with a blank look.

"You're just sitting there staring at the desk. Don't you have food?" Lucy asked.

"Oh." Natsu looked back at his desk, pondering on what to say. Nobody in school had ever asked him that question. It had always been long looks of discomfort or whispers behind his back. The only people who really talked to him were his senseis. Some of them were concerned. Others were angry. Only two of them actually tried to help him. But even they couldn't keep the hounds away from their prey. And those hounds were going to be here very soon. But before he could reply, Lucy was approached by three girls in an instant. One of them was Levy Saionji. Another was Erza's friend, Cana

"Yes." he muttered under his breath.

Erza stared at him. Natsu stared right back, not willing to back down from her "death glare" as many people had dubbed it. She stood there for a second before walking towards him.

_Oh great. What did she want now?_

"Could you show Lucy around the school?"

Natsu was surprised. He looked Erza in the eye. It was full of concern and fear. And it wasn't because of him. He glanced briefly at Lucy and the girls before looking back at Erza.

_What was she getting at? _She had yelled at him in the morning for being in league with that useless upstart Totomaru and now she was telling him to show Lucy the school. She was being weird but Natsu knew better than to argue.

Speaking of Totomaru, where was that lackey-followed upstart? They should have been here by now. Not that he wasn't happy that he wasn't there, it was just… weird. Wait. Wait. Wait.

He tensed up. He could get away. All he had to do was agree. He could finally get away. To hell with the consequences. Why didn't he think of that sooner? He might as well take advantage of his position as buddy.

He nodded. "I don't mind." He turned. "Lucy? You wanna see the school?"

"Umm….Suuuuurrreee." She looked at the girls and spoke in Japanese. "I'll be back. Natsu-san wants to show me the school."

The girls looked at her in horror. They began to protest when Erza spoke up.

"Well I think that's a lovely idea. Don't you think girls?" she said with a smile. The girls looked at Erza in horror and tried to say something but couldn't. Erza was starting to frighten him even more.

Cana gritted her teeth. "Yes. I think so too."

Lucy looked at Erza, then back at the girls. "Is everything okay? she asked.

"Yes of course, dear. Why wouldn't there be?" Erza kept on smiling. Lucy looked fidgety but didn't say anything else.

Natsu thought he should say something. It didn't feel right either that the new girl was getting so much attention. Wait if _he _could the tension, then so could she. "Its alright." he said to the girls. "I'm just gonna show her around the school and be back before lunch ends. You might want to take your lunch with you. The school is pretty massive. It took me a couple of lunches as well to figure out this place. Thats why they're worried."

Lucy visibly relaxed. Saionji-san looked a little worried but didn't say anything. Having understood a little of what he had said, Cana shrugged. She looked at Lucy and said, "Beruno toki maeni kitenasai. Hai?" Then she glared at Natsu.

_Come back before the bell rings. Okay?_

He gave her a smile and a thumbs up, the universal language for "I got it", before remembering that he wasn't supposed to know Japanese and quickly changed his face to a "I think I got it" one. Cana simply rolled her eyes and Natsu breathed a sigh of relief. It was at that moment he realized how quiet the room had become. Everyone's eyes were fixated on the tiny group in the back. The moment he looked over, they all became interested in their food.

Just before Natsu opened the door, Erza called out. "Show her the gym first." Natsu thought she was crazy. He was going to show Lucy the cafeteria first since food was better than sports but he was so desperate to leave that he didn't even argue and was already halfway towards it before he realized her request.

"You haven't said anything." Lucy asked. "We're just awkwardly walking in a straight line with people staring at us for ten minutes."

"Huh? Oh no I was just…" Natsu looked at her. "Lost in thought."

Lucy smirked. "Well you seem like a nice person but that dead eye stare really doesn't help your look. And what's with the pink hair?

_Huh? _

Nobody had ever said anything like that to him. Normally it was disgusted looks of… hang on. Didn't he mention that already? His addled brain was starting to lose it. It was always people giving him some sort of look. Never asking. Never questioning. Always judging him. And he had thought it would be the same for her. No. It _should _have been the same. Then who was she? It would probably be better to roll with it.

Natsu allowed himself a tiny smile. "Those are all excellent questions. And I will answer them all in due time, child." He half-closed his eyes and pointed his finger up.

"What time are you from? World War 2?" Lucy said, rolling her eyes. But the girl smiled and giggled. She put out her hand.

"Lucy Ashley."

Natsu looked at the hand and shook it. It was soft. Soft yet strong. Different from the rough hands of Totomaru. Different from his mother's too. He looked her in the eye and smiled.

"Natsu Vermillion."

Wait. He smiled? It hadn't been fake either. It was… different. It felt… natural. As if someone were finally speaking his language.

Maybe….they had met for a reason.

* * *

**X**

* * *

The door at the back of the classroom opened and the class's cheery voices were immediately quenched. Terror filled the room as Totomaru stepped in with his regular three thugs in tow. His eyes looked at Natsu's empty desk and then began scouring the room like a predator looking for his prey. His eyes took in the entire room before landing on to the approaching woman accompanied by another boy.

"He's not here."

"Ehhh?" Totomaru gave the red-haired girl a glance. Erza was pretty. She was used to being stared at from afar but this man… this... thug... wasn't looking at her in awe. It was something she had never felt before.

And she felt disgusted.

"Natsu isn't here."

"Oh you mean my friend." Totomaru looked at his thugs with a grin, before turning back to Erza. "Natsu isn't here? That's sad. I was looking forward to meeting my white pink-tailed bunny."

"He's not here so I would implore you to leave."

"Ohhhh look who we have here. Are you threatening us, little girl."

"I'm asking you to leave the classroom because you are our senpai. Senpai are not allowed in the kōhai's classrooms." This was true. Senpais, or elders, weren't allowed to go into kōhai's, young classrooms without teacher supervision. It had been the schools way of preventing the upperclassmen from playing around with the lower. Obviously this man and his group had ignored that rule everyday.

Totomaru and his lackeys laughed. "Ah yes that stupid rule. I guess I do have to follow those rules." He looked at Erza straight in the eye. "For now."

She met his gaze, both competing to see who held the most power. Gray fidgeted. Anyone could feel the tension between the two. A tug back and forth between the powers. If a brawl started here, there would be no going back. He lightly touched her backside before putting it quickly back into his pocket. It was small but enough to warn Erza and she lowered her gaze. Totomaru gave a huge smile. "Well. We'll be leaving!"

One of his thugs protested. "But what about our foo- I mean Natsu? I want to eat with him after all the running we just did."

Totomaru scrunched up his face but quickly put his smile back up. "We can just come tomorrow and get him. Let's go!"

The group left the room and the whole classroom breathed a sigh of relief. People started to thank her for driving them away but Erza stalled them, telling them that she needed to go to lunch. Levy looked at Erza from afar and said nothing. Her eyes told another story. Cana was doing the same. They both understood what had happened. But they said nothing. And she was glad they did.

After a lot of trouble, Erza and Gray managed to get away from the classroom and head towards the cafeteria. But as they got near, they quietly slipped away from the commotion of the hallway and away from all the students. They got a staircase- located on the far side of the school and away from prying eyes and ears.

"Took you long enough," a voice said.

Loki was leaning on the wall behind the stairs with his arms crossed and sleeves rolled up. He was sweaty and breathing heavily, as if he had been running. "I assume the operation went according to plan?"

Erza nodded. "It did. Thank you, Loki."

"Yeah well they're not that hard to lose. Problem was to keep them on my tail long enough. They gave up quietly easily though."

"The timing couldn't have been better." Erza put her hand on Loki's shoulder. "For now, we did great."

Gray still looked a little concerned. "Are you sure it's wise to anger them? They seem already angry enough."

Erza shook her head. "You're right but we can't just let them do as they please. You know the rules."

"What happened to this school?" Loki remarked. "I remember when it used to be more peaceful. Now it's ridden with gangs."

"Patience. We can deal with them later. For now we have to keep our focus on them and keep Natsu out of their reach."

"Natsu?" Gray scowled at her. "Why Natsu? Has something been going on between you two?"

"Gray!"

Gray closed his mouth. He knew better than to say anything else. "I'm sorry. I just don't understand what you see in that guy. I know it's nothing romantic but…."

Erza smiled. They had known each other since they were little kids. Even though he knew the aura she gave people, he still worried about her. She smiled. "I understand your concern, Gray, but there is too much at stake here. Those four already come into the class on a regular basis to torture Natsu. If they get a hold of him, it would mean that they would be able to easily infiltrate the class. The whole school is already talking about him behind his back. He's been keeping a low profile and it's why we think he's a problematic child."

"I guess it doesn't help that he has that glare on his face the entire time either." Loki said.

"Indeed it doesn't. And if the rumors of the Phantoms are true…" She trailed off, not wanting to speak it out loud for fear of it becoming true.

But Gray and Loki both understood. Phantom Lord had been gaining more and more students into their gang as the weeks went by. Their sources had also warned them that the other smaller gangs were slowly being absorbed into them. Soon they would no longer be a gang, but a full-fledged syndicate or, for lack of a better word, a guild. But there was nothing they could do. They needed more support. and the students outside their class were afraid. The teachers were afraid.

"We have to keep them out of the class." Gray said, finally. "If they come in because of Natsu, then we keep him out of the class. During lunch. Just like today. Loki, you'll have to do it again tomorrow."

Loki smiled. "Oh if it means keeping those bastards out, I can do this all month if have to."

"This strategy won't last long." Gray said honestly. "You'll have to improvise. But keep it calm. Erza?"

Erza didn't say anything. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want Gray and Loki to risk their lives. Phantom Lord was dangerous. And she couldn't just make them-

"Erza!"

"Huh?" Erza snapped out of her thoughts. She realized she had involuntarily started to stare at the ground and looked up at the two boys.

They both smiled. "We got this." Gray said.

Loki continued the thought. "Don't worry about us. You just keep being yourself in the classroom. You're basically our Hakubano ōjisama." He immediately realized what he had said and corrected himself. "Except you're a girl and not a… boy."

Erza smiled. "As the English would call it in English- a knight in shining armor."

The two boys looked at each other in confusion but decided to roll with it. "Yes. A… Nigh in... shinnin amore."


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5: Friends?...Only Time Will Tell_

_**There comes a time in our life when we question the meaning of life. Often times we wonder whether it will all be worth it. And when we find out the truth, we go down a pit that we cannot get out of. However, it is the hearts and souls of others… that bring us back from the depths. - AdmiralWhiteFang**_

* * *

"Woah your gym is awesome!"

Lucy cried out in joy as she saw Fiore High's massive gym hall. The hall was filled with students playing different types of games ranging from basketball to soccer (they called it football) to kickball.

"It's called a-" He stopped himself. "A taaki…. taakuki…. takiisan…"

Lucy frowned. "Taiikukan. It's called a taiikukan."

"That."

"But holy cow it's almost as big as a stadium." She said.

"Uhhhhh that is way too big…" Natsu said, looking at her in confusion.

"Hmmm you're right." She began to ponder about it before exclaiming out loud. "I know! It's as big as a football field!

_That...was right on the dot._ _Wait what was he saying? And did she have to say it so loudly?_

"Right." Natsu said, his vision scouring the gym. Already people were noticing the pair, pointing it out their friends or whispering about it.

_Crap. _

"Ok now that we've seen the gym, let go see the… umm… classrooms next to it."

_Smooth_

Lucy nodded. "Sure."

_Wait that worked? _"Great!" Natsu turned around before Lucy stopped him.

"Hang on. Lemme ask you something."

"Huh? What's up?"

"Is this… alright for you?"

Natsu stared at her. "What?"

"Well I mean…" She looked lost in thought before shaking her head. "Nevermind. Lets see the rest of the school. Remember you need to get me back to class before the bell rings."

Natsu eyed her. He could tell there was something definitely up. But it wasn't his place to ask. Not yet anyways. "Right."

As they were about to leave, Natsu noticed someone staring at him. It was weird. He was used to people staring but this was different. It was as if he were looking for a fight. Their eyes met and the boy grinned. He had a natural tan, probably meaning one of his parents was from the south part of Japan. The top four buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned, allowing people to see a small portion of his chest. On his hands, he wore black fingerless gloves studded with five dark gray bits that went over his knuckles. He was sitting down cross-legged on the floor of the gym. But what really creeped him out was the fact that he was looking at him in a weird way. It was a gaze he was familiar with but Natsu couldn't put his finger on it. The boy grinned.

Natsu looked away. H didn't want to deal with it right now. Right now, he had to be a tour guide. Or school guide. He left the gym with Lucy but he couldn't forget the guy's grin. It was as if it had been imprinted in his mind. It kept nagging him. Where had he seen that grin before?

"Hellooo. Earth to Natsu! Wake up!" Lucy cried out, snapping her fingers in his face. "Where are you?"

"Huh what?" Natsu had blanked out again. "Sorry I …."

Lucy finished his sentence for him. "Blanked out."

"Yeah…"

"You seem to do that a lot."

"I do don't I." Natsu agreed. He had wondered about that himself. It had started to happen ever since he arrived in Japan. He zoned out every time his mind was put under stress. Time just seemed to.….. jump.

"Yes. Yes you do. And it's pretty weird." Lucy said.

"Gee thanks." Lucy began to laugh and Natsu joined in. A few onlookers glanced at them but they kept on walking.

_Soredewa nai pink haired kid that the grade talks about?_

_Yeah but who's that girl next to him? Is she crazy?_

_Probably. Hanging out with a gang member might be what she does._

_Maybe she doesn't kno-_

That was all he could hear before they went out of earshot. Natsu tightened his fist. _Why couldn't they just leave him alone? What did they want from him? This happened every time he tried to make a fri-_

Lucy punched him. _Hard._

"Oww!" He glanced over at Lucy like she was crazy. This girl had the audacity to hit him! And they had only just met! _Who is she? _"What?!"

"You did it again." She looked worried and Natsu's face immediately softened. Had she overheard the students whispering? "So you can't understand Japanese at all right?" She continued, changing the subject instantly.

Natsu looked at her curious. "No. I can't."

"Oh." She sighed. "Ok then. How are your Japanese lessons going if that's the case?"

_Wait was she trying to make conversation with him? _"Do you mean my Japanese language lessons or the actual lesson…"

"Both I guess. But mainly your Japanese language one since you don't understand Japanese itself."

"Its… unintelligible." Natsu twinged inside. He didn't want to lie to her but he also had to maintain his facade. "I have no idea what's going on in class."

Lucy looked at him in shock. "But what about the teachers? Don't they help you?"

"Not really." Natsu replied. "Some of the teachers have just given up on me entirely. Others are trying to help but its still very difficult for them since they don't know English that well. Even the English teacher herself. Though she has been the most helpful out of all of them. She translates what she can but even she can't translate everything."

Lucy didn't say anything. It was as if she were thinking hard on a decision to make. Natsu wondered what was going on inside of that brain of hers. She was so mysteriously awkward. It made her seem different all the people he had ever met in his life. But it still felt familiar. Her aura. Her gaze of life. He couldn't explain it. It was… weird.

"Ok how about this." She finally said. "I'll teach you how to read and write Japanese. You can come over to my house and we can study together."

Natsu was dumbfounded. "What?" He exclaimed. "But you barely know me? We have literally only just met!"

"True." Natsu looked at her for the umpteenth time today as if she were crazy. "But still. I want to help you."

"I don't need charity." He said.

"I wasn't giving any." She replied. " I'm doing this to help a fellow classmate. Since no one else will H.E.L.P properly." Lucy spelled out the word 'help' as if she had to emphasize it more to him. She looked confident that he wouldn't refuse her help. Her smile said that. But it was her eyes…. that made him believe her.

"Fine." He said, finally. "But will your parent allow it?"

"Oh yeah my host parents will be fine with it. They said I could bring anyone over as much as I wanted to." She paused. "Now that I think about it, maybe that didn't extend to boys… I'll have to check."

Parents. Right. He had been living with only one person for so long that he had forgotten about the second one. Odd wasn't it? You always forget there are different types of things in life, when you have only seen one of them from the very beginning. Wait what did she say her host parents were okay with?

"Oh we're here? I know this place."

They had arrived at the principal's office. Or the headmasters office. Or the dean's office. Or whatever the Japanese called their head of school.

"Oooh let's start with this!" She jumped in front of him and pointed to the sign on top of the door. This is the Kocho-shitsu. In America, it is the equivalent of a principal's office."

Natsu nodded, indulging her for a moment. Technically, nobody had told him what the office was called so he technically shouldn't have known it. Lucy continued. "And the one inside is obviously the principal and the people called him-"

The door to the Kocho-shitsu opened making Lucy and Natsu jump away.

"Kocho-sensei." The man at the door smiled. "I am called Kocho-sensei. Also you were very loud, my dear Lucy."

Lucy blushed slightly. "Sorry.

The Kocho-sensei smiled. He was a tall, slim man with long, straight, dark hair reaching down to his shoulders and a thin mustache. The moustache went down on both sides of his mouth which made him look like a Mexican man than a Japanese man. Only his eyes deceived the picture. He had eyelashes that popped out even without the usage of any cosmetics and his eyes were almond shaped; a lot like Lucy's eye.

"If it isn't Natsu Vermillion! How are you doing today?" He spoke in perfect English.

Natsu gave him a slight bow in respect. Lucy followed suit. "Kocho-sensei." he said. The principal smiled. Natsu wasn't sure what his real name was. He had never bothered to learn it. And since everyone called him Kocho-sensei, he also called him Kocho-sensei. But in his mind, he had made a nickname for him.

_Jose Porla. We meet again! En garde, mon ami! Let us fight to the death! Heil! _An image of a boy in a thin moustache similar to the principal with a sword in hand came to his mind as he bowed. He wanted to laugh but restricted himself. _Now is not the time!_

"That is all I will get from you, I suppose. But it is nice to see you around with people. You should get out more. Socialize with your peers. If not your peers, then at least with your upperclassmen."

"Yes, kocho-sensei."

"Good. Now run to class. Lunch is almost over."

The man turned around and went back into the office. When the door closed, Lucy shivered. "Principals are always so scary. But he seems friendlier than others. And nicer too."

Natsu stared at the door to the office. "That he is. Come on let's go. I have to get you back to class otherwise Cana will have my head."

"By the way, while we're on that subject, why does Cana and Erza have such European names? Are they transfer students too?"

_Such European names? _Natsu scrunched up his eyebrows and looked at Lucy. "Who said the Japanese couldn't have European names? I'm white and _I _have a Japanese name. You ever heard of _that _before?"

"I don't know its just… I understand Levy- I mean Saionji-san having a given name and a self proclaimed name. That sort of thing is common in America but here…." She shook her head. "Maybe I have to get used to it."

"How about this. Why don't you ask her why her name is so….. American." Natsu said, trying to avoid being as much racist as he could. The conversation was already pretty awkward.

"But we just met!" Lucy exclaimed. "I can't just ask her something like that!"

"But _we _just met!"

"Yeah but you're a guy. It's completely different with guys."

_Were all girls as confusing as this one? _He thought back to his mother and her squealing antics. He looked at Erza at her raging moments. _Yes. Apparently they were._

Natsu sighed. "Let's just go. The school is pretty big. And plus we haven't eaten lunch yet."

Lucy's eyes lit up. "Food! I forgot! Come on! I'm starving!"

Lucy began walking faster and motioned towards him to walk faster too. Natsu was shocked but only for a moment before he jogged after her.

_Girls like food. _

_Go Figure._

* * *

**X**

* * *

The gate squeaked as it swung on its hinges. Natsu cringed. He would have to oil it later this week. A touch of it wouldn't hurt and it would get rid of the god awful sound it made every time someone opened it. As he began to close the gate, he heard his mother's voice from inside the house. It was loud. Much louder than usual. Not enough for the neighbors to hear but enough for him to hear it. Maybe she was excited about something. It certainly wouldn't have been the first time she had brought down the house with her squeals of joy. But as he got closer, he could tell that something was wrong. He could tell she was in distress. Her voice was much angrier than usual. In fact, Natsu didn't think he had ever heard his mother this angry. It seemed like she was having an argument. In Japanese. _Was someone inside the house?_

"My life is of no concern to you!" She paused and then started on again. "We are not! We haven't been that for a long time!

_She's on the phone, _he realized. _That would explain the pause._

"I don't care! Even if I live on the street, I still won't take any of your filthy money! Do you understand me!" She paused. This time it was longer than normal. Natsu strained his ear, trying to listen as closely as he could to what his mother would say.

"Don't you dare bring my son into this." With a start, Natsu realized that the person on the other side had said his name. _That meant that they knew us? But who did they know? Mom and I had barely been here for a few months. Who would know us well enough to _want _to give us money?_

"You have no idea what he's been through…. no idea…." Her voice went soft to the point where he could barely hear her. "No idea, Hachikō."

_Hachikō? Why do I know that name?_

"So leave us out of this. Do you understand me?! I don't want anything to do with your pathetic lies of us being family!"

The house became silent. A minute went by. Two minutes. Five minutes. Ten minutes. The call had ended. Natsu realized that his hand was shaking the entire time and he immediately clenched his fists. _Get a grip. _He reached out his hand and was about to open the front door when he froze. He tiptoed off the stone ledge situated in front of the door and opened the gate. It squeaked and screeched as he opened it, paused, and then closed it. Then he began to walk as slowly as he could toward the house. His heart pounded with each step as he drew closer to the door. He turned the knob and walked inside.

Almost immediately his mother pounced on him and gave Natsu a big hug_. _"Hi."

Natsu smiled. "Hi."

She giggled. There was no sign of the anger he had heard ten minutes ago. It was all gone now. "How was your day?"

Natsu's mind flashed back towards lunchtime. He froze before giving his mother a big smile.

"It was good."

He thought his mother would narrow her eyes again at the response since he made it everyday. But instead, her eyes widened. _What? That wasn't her normal response..._

She let go of him, smiled and turned around. "Food!" she exclaimed to the house. _Huh?_

_Yup. Girls were confusing._

_And apparently liked food too.  
_

* * *

**Fanfiction was being weird with the spacing so i had to put that extra dot there. But the main question is...**

**What is Lucy's main goal?**

**Will Natsu become friends with Lucy? (Yes of course. Why are you reading this if you don't like shipping Lucy and Natsu?)**

**Who is _Hachikō? _**

**_Will Star Wars Episode 9 be good? (Wait what?)_**

**Who knows?**

**Only Time will tell.**


End file.
